Local leaders join national companies in speaking out against the Chamber’s stance on climate

October 15, 2009, TAKOMA PARK—Business leaders in Maryland today spoke out against the U.S. Chamber of Commerce because of its obstruction of climate legislation. A number of major companies, including Apple and Levi Strauss & Co., have recently resigned from the Chamber because they disagree with the Chamber’s stance on global warming. Local businesses joined the national companies in declaring that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce doesn’t represent them.

"Every business talks 'green' these days, but the real test of a green commitment is where a business stands on supporting progressive environmental legislation at the state or national level," said Gary Skulnik of Clean Currents. "Clean Currents is proud to stand firmly in the true green camp in supporting serious legislation to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change, as opposed to the U.S. Chamber and its head-in-the-sand approach."

The U.S. Chamber spent $26 million on lobbying Congress in the first half of 2009, double the total of second-biggest lobbying firm ExxonMobil. The influential Chamber has also opposed every major piece of climate legislation introduced on Capitol Hill – it opposed McCain-Lieberman in 2003 and 2005, Lieberman-Warner in 2007, and Waxman-Markey in 2009.

“As a business owner it is clear to me that this is the time to make major investments in the industries that will power our future and create millions of career-track green-collar jobs,” said Richard Deutschmann, VP of Policy & Market Development for groSolar, a national solar energy company. “A recent study indicated that investing in the clean energy economy could provide as many as 1.7 million new jobs. That’s exactly what our ailing economy needs.”

“We must do all we can to minimize climate change which is already affecting global biodiversity. At current projections, 50% of the world’s species could be facing extinction by the end of century,” said Keith Bowers of Biohabitats. “The bottom line is that all living organisms depend on natural capital.”

Traditionally, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce claimed to represent the collective interest of American business. The recent public resignations have exposed the Chamber as majorly out of step with the today’s businesses.

“As a business owner I stand with major companies like Apple, Pacific Gas and Electric, Microsoft, and Nike that have spoken out against the Chamber because they understand the modern economy,” said George L Peters Jr, President & CEO of Sustainable Urban Infrastructures, Inc. “I don’t stand with the backward looking, mired-in-the-failed-status-quo energy policies of the U.S. Chamber.”

The companies have left the US Chamber entirely, left the Board of the US Chamber, or spoken out against the US Chamber, include:

o Apple, Inc. – Resigned

o Exelon – Resigned

o PNM Resources (NM) – Resigned

o Pacific Gas and Electric Co (CA) – Resigned

o PSE&G – Resigned

o Levi Strauss & Co - Resigned

o Nike – Resigned from board, will quit Chamber next year

o Johnson & Johnson, General Electric, San Jose Chamber of Commerce, Alcoa, Duke, Entergy, Microsoft, Toyota – Say chamber doesn’t represent their views on climate

###

Maryland business leaders available for interview:

Keith Bowers, President, BioHabitats
Baltimore, MD
410.554.0156
www.biohabitats.com

Richard Deutschmann, VP Policy & Market Development, groSolar
Jessup, MD
443-451-3512 office, 410-707-4368 mobile
groSolar.com

George L Peters Jr., President & CEO, Sustainable Urban Infrastructures, Inc.
Baltimore, MD
410.967.5620
www.sustainableurbaninfrastructures.com

Gary Skulnik, President/Partner, Clean Currents, LLC
Rockville, MD 20850
301-754-0430 x701, 202-413-8534 (cell)
www.cleancurrents.com